Common Infections and How to Treat them Naturally

Colds/Flu

The first thing to do is rest and take it easy if you feel like you’re getting sick. Pushing yourself won’t help
your body fight off germs. In addition, we recommend supporting your immune system with supplements
and vitamins. Immune boosters work best if taken at the first sign of illness! Take as many as you can
when you start feeling under the weather and keep on it for a full 24 hours after you feel better.

• Emergen-C Immune Plus packets have 1,000 mg Vitamin C, the full complement of B vitamins, Vitamin D, Zinc, and Electrolytes. This is the best, “all in one” immune support we have found. Plus they taste good. Take one packet twice a day while sick.
  • You can take additional vitamin C, up to 1,000 mg every hour while awake, until you have loose bowel movements. Then back off.
• Echinacea is an herbal immune booster that is a good complement to the EmergenC packets.
  ◦ It’s available in capsules, tea, or tinctures.
  ◦ Liquid triple echinacea is best if tolerated and available at Mountain Mama’s and Sprouts
  ◦ Take only ten days before taking a break for a week
  ◦ Echinacea is often paired with Goldenseal, but this is contraindicated during pregnancy.
• Elderberry is another herbal immune booster.
  ◦ Available as Capsules, Gummies, or Syrup
  ◦ Can be made yourself if desired.
• Eat lots of garlic, onions, salt, and spicy foods. All of these have been shown to help reduce the length of illness.
  ◦ Alternatively you can take Kyolic Garlic 2 capsules 3 times a day for a couple of days
  ◦ Cayenne is also available as capsules is you don’t like spicy foods
• Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic remedy specifically for influenza
  ◦ Take according to dosage on the bottle
• Humidifier, run especially at night, with or without eucalyptus oil in it.
  ◦ Use to help loosen congestion and quiet cough
• Neti Pots are used to help flush the sinuses and get rid of the “gunk”.
  ◦ These are available at most drugstores and very helpful for congestion or allergies.

Urinary Tract Infections

UTIs are much more common in pregnancy than in the general population. In addition, people who are
already prone to UTIs tend to have more issues with them during pregnancy. UTIs generally start with
feeling like you need to pee urgently, but then there is little to no urine. This can be accompanied with a
burning sensation, but not always. The UTI is moving up toward your kidneys if you are also feeling
ill/have a fever and/or you feel pain in your lower back on one side or the other. If caught early, a UTI can
usually be treated naturally without antibiotics. But if you have a fever or kidney pain associated with the
UTI you need antibiotics. There is a time and a place for antibiotics, and avoiding a kidney infection is a
great reason to take them.

• Hydrate: drink as much water as you can hold. Preferably a gallon in 24 hours.
• Cranberry as either capsules, taken three times a day, or unsweetened cranberry juice.
  ◦ Unsweetened cranberry juice is very bitter and can be unpalatable.
  ◦ Those prone to UTIs can add cranberry to their supplements every day.
• D-Mannose is a supplement that can be very helpful in getting rid of a UTI.
  ◦ It’s a simple carbohydrate that happens to bind E-Coli, the bacteria most often responsible for UTIs
  ◦ Often D-Mannose and Cranberry are packaged together.

Vaginal Infections

With increased blood flow to the entire pelvis, plus the weight of the ever growing baby, it is very common to struggle with vaginal infections such as yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy.

• Probiotics are key to good vaginal health. If your vagina is well colonized with good bacteria, it is less likely that yeast or harmful bacteria will get a chance to cause problems.
  • Eating plenty of foods with probiotics is the best way to achieve healthy vaginal flora:
    • Yogurt
    • Kombucha or Kefir
    • Fresh Sauerkraut, Pickles, Kimchi, or other fermented foods
    • Probiotic Supplements with L. Rueteri are especially helpful for vaginal health

Treatments for Yeast:

• Lots of oral probiotic foods and add a supplement.
• Avoid sugar/carbs in the diet until yeast is gone
• For a mild infection, coconut oil topically twice a day for 3-7 days may be enough.
• For a more moderate infection and more than 14 weeks pregnant, boric acid suppositories nightly for 7 days can be effective.
• Vitanica Yeast Arrest, Homeopathic Vaginal Suppositories can be used for mild to moderate
  infections
• For more severe infections or moderate infections that aren’t going completely away with the
  above treatments, a 7-day course of Monistat is usually enough.
• The most persistent infections might require the oral anti-fungal medication Diflucan
• Use plain yogurt or a vaginal probiotic suppository after any treatment is finished to re-
  colonize your vagina with good healthy bacteria.

Treatment For BV:

• For a mild infection, coconut oil topically twice a day for 3-7 days may be enough.
• Dilute 1 part hydrogen peroxide with 3 parts of water and place in a large syringe (like the kind used to give medicine to dogs) or peri-bottle. Gently douche in the shower for 10 days.
• Use plain yogurt or a vaginal probiotic suppository after any treatment is finished to re-
  colonize your vagina with good healthy bacteria.